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Hyatt Place Wesley Chapel

Pasco tourism ‘booming,’ officials say

September 12, 2018 By Kevin Weiss

Tourism is “booming” in Pasco County and shows little signs of slowing down.

That was the message delivered by Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore and Pasco County Tourism Director Adam Thomas during a recent appearance at a Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce meeting.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, right, and Pasco County Tourism Director Adam Thomas were the guest speakers at a Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce September meeting, at Golden Corral in Zephyrhills. Their talk centered on the county’s tourism efforts. (Kevin Weiss)

“We’re at the highest (tourism) levels ever,” said Moore, who joined Smith, as the featured speakers at the chamber’s September breakfast at the Golden Corral in Zephyrhills.

While Pasco County is not Orlando, Moore said it has much to offer.

Besides being a great place to live, to work and to play, it’s also a great place to visit, Moore said.

The speakers shared a number of tourism-related figures from January through June of this year. The figures were compiled with the help of Tallahassee firm Downs & St. Germain Research, which conducts the county’s quarterly and annual visitor profiles.

Here are some findings from that six-month period:

  • 451,000 people visited Pasco County, spending a combined $234 million
  • The stays represented 487,000 room nights
  • Hotel occupancy is up nearly 3 percent in Pasco County compared to last year, with hotels now averaging 75 percent occupancy
  • Tourism yielded $23 million in taxes, with $15 million in state and federal taxes, $8 million in local taxes
  • Tourism provided $83 million in income, with 3,645 jobs sustained by tourism in Pasco, representing 5 percent of all income and 7 percent of all jobs in the county
  • Tourism contributes $250 in state and local taxes, for each Pasco household

Those visiting the county apparently had a good experience.

Ninety percent of those responding to a survey said they would return, and 99 percent said they were satisfied with the county’s offerings.

Moore, who is chairman of the Pasco Tourist Development Council, is bullish that those promising figures will continue, noting that there are several projects and initiatives coming online the next few years.

Specifically, Moore mentioned the forthcoming Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex, a $44 million, 98,000-square-foot facility that broke ground in June.

The complex, expected to open in late 2019, will be able to host other sporting events and recreational activities, such as martial arts, wrestling, gymnastics, curling, badminton, soccer, lacrosse and pickleball. It will even play host to “unconventional sports tourism,” such as the World Championship of Cornhole.

Besides the indoor facility, the complex will have seven outdoor sports fields, an amphitheater with an event lawn, walking trails, pavilions and a playground.

Once complete, the facility will be one of the county’s “great assets,” Moore said.

“We’re going to have thousands of people come on the weekends for multiple tournaments, whether it be cheerleading or wrestling or volleyball or gymnastics — people from all over the nation, sometimes maybe even all over the world,” Moore said. “It’s exciting. We’re excited about that.”

Meanwhile, other future sports-related endeavors in Pasco include the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Center in Zephyrhills and the Christopher N. Chiles Aquatic Center in Land O’ Lakes, each of which could become a magnet for hosting regional and national tournaments.

Smith said those facilities, plus the Florida Hospital Center Ice in Wesley Chapel, which opened in January 2017, make Pasco an attractive sports tourism destination.

“The heartbeat of tourism right now is our sports,” Smith said, noting his office’s target audience is young families with children. “That’s our bread and butter.”

Smith, too, suggested the county’s inshore and offshore fishing offerings, as well as hiking, biking and walking trails all help create a bevy of other family friendly activities for those visitors who travel in for various sporting events and tournaments.

“We’re an outdoor recreation, ecotourism, adventure travel destination,” Smith said. “We have a lot to offer that a lot of other destinations don’t have, so we want to differentiate our product and sell what’s unique about our destinations.”

Another future selling point for Pasco is the return of scalloping, the speakers said.

For the first time since 1994, state waters off Pasco County were open to bay scallop harvest for a 10-day trial season in late July. Harvest areas included all state waters south of the Hernando-Pasco county line and north of the Anclote Key Lighthouse in northern Pinellas County, as well as all waters of the Anclote River.

Moore said there may be additional scalloping days next year and a full scalloping season by 2020.

Moore also noted that without the scallop trial season, families would have otherwise traveled north to Hernando County, all but bypassing Pasco. “I’ve never seen that many boats in the water in Pasco County in my life. It was packed,” the commissioner said of the 10-day trial season.

Smith coined the popular family friendly activity “an underwater Easter egg hunt.”

“It’s a great opportunity for folks, not only around Florida or the southeast region of the United States, but all across the nation, to get in our waters, to explore our aquatic life and to have this experience to take home with them. …That’s the memories that we’re trying to create here for our guests and families — to come in and experience some of the things that we have on an annual basis,” Smith explained.

Aside from sports and outdoor activities, the tourism director said there’s also been a renewed emphasis to lure annual conventions and shows and corporate retreats, taking advantage of large meeting space at Saddlebrook Resort, Hyatt Place Wesley Chapel, and eventually the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex.

Published September 12, 2018

Filed Under: Top Story Tagged With: Adam Thomas, Anclote Key Lighthouse, Anclote River, Christopher N. Chiles Aquatic Center, Downs & St. Germain Research, Florida Hospital Center Ice, Golden Corral, Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, Hyatt Place Wesley Chapel, Mike Moore, Pasco County Tourism, Pasco Tourist Development Council, Saddlebrook Resort, Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Center, Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex

Hyatt Place to be at Cypress Creek Town Center

September 28, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Construction on Hyatt Place Hotel & Conference Center is expected to begin in early 2017, according to a news release from the project’s development team.

Impact Properties Inc., Sierra Properties and the Hyatt Hotels Corporation are partnering on the 130-room hotel and conference center on the northern side of State Road 56, across from Tampa Premium Outlets.

Hyatt Place Wesley Chapel is expected to have a ground-breaking in early 2017 at the Cypress Creek Town Center. (Courtesy of Impact Properties Inc.)
Hyatt Place Wesley Chapel is expected to have a ground-breaking in early 2017 at the Cypress Creek Town Center.
(Courtesy of Impact Properties Inc.)

Hyatt Place Wesley Chapel will be the first Hyatt hotel in Pasco County and the first hotel within the more than 500 acres currently under development at the Cypress Creek Town Center.

According to Hyatt’s website, Hyatt Place guests are “mid- to upper-income Gen X travelers who expect modern conveniences and product design to accommodate their multi-tasking, 24/7 lifestyle.”

Hyatt Place will have 130 rooms, with areas for sleep, work and play, as well as sofa sleepers as an extra feature.

There will be free Wi-Fi, a round-the-clock “Gallery Menu” with freshly prepared meals any time of day. Free hot breakfasts also will be available daily.

A Coffee to Cocktails Bar will feature specialty coffees, premium beers, wines and cocktails.

The conference center will have about 6,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, with state-of-the-art technology.

A 24-hour fitness center will feature cardio equipment with LDC screens and free ear buds.

The mixed-use Cypress Creek Town Center is a showcase for growth in the State Road 56 area, located at the Interstate 75 interchange and the juncture of State Road 56 and State Road 54.

The center is approved for up to 2 million square feet of retail, hotel, apartments and offices.

Along with hotel construction, the first phase of development will include 230 upscale apartments and 10 new restaurants and shops, according to the press release.

In front of the outlet mall, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Chick-fil-A and Culver’s have opened within past months. BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse and Longhorn Steakhouse are under construction.

As part of Cypress Creek Town Center, Ford’s Garage, Pollo Tropical, Wendy’s and Taco Bell are awaiting permits.

Publshed September 28, 2016

Filed Under: Local News, Wesley Chapel/New Tampa News Tagged With: BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, Chick-fil-A, Culver's, Cypress Creek Town Center, Ford's Garage, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Hyatt Place Hotel & Conference Center, Hyatt Place Wesley Chapel, Impact Properties Inc., Interstate 75, LongHorn Steakhouse, Pollo Tropical, Sierra Properties, State Road 54, State Road 56, Taco Bell, Tampa Premium Outlets, Wendy's

Hotels go up as tourism grows in Pasco

August 10, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Pasco County’s hotel market is thriving.

Five hotels are either under construction, closing in on a groundbreaking or will open within months.

A new Hilton Garden Inn is the most recent to complete permitting, with a construction start now in the offing.

The 125-room, six-story hotel is rising off of State Road 56, at Maple Silver Parkway.

Hilton Garden Inn is under construction at Northpointe Village, off State Road 54 and Suncoast Parkway. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)
Hilton Garden Inn is under construction at Northpointe Village, off State Road 54 and Suncoast Parkway.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)

Another 110-room Hilton Garden Inn at Northpointe Village, on State Road 54 at the Suncoast Parkway, is expected to open in three to four months.

Off State Road 56, an 80-room Holiday Inn Express is well under way, next to the construction site for the Florida Hospital Center Ice sports complex.

The ice complex is expected to open by Labor Day, and play a significant role in boosting Pasco’s sports tourism industry.

Developers of Cypress Creek Town Center, on the north side of State Road 56, are planning a 130-room Hyatt Place Wesley Chapel hotel.

And, Wiregrass Ranch is set to build a 92-room Fairfield Inn & Suites, also off State Road 56.

The hotel expansion comes as Pasco County is looking at another record-breaking year for tourism, with the county’s cash register jingling with bed tax dollars from hotel stays.

Pasco County’s Tourism Manager Ed Caum anticipates hitting $1 million in revenues from the bed tax, exclusively paid by hotel guests who live outside of Pasco.

To date, he said revenues are about $856,000, a 4.6 percent increase over projections.

Holiday Inn Express will open next to Florida Hospital Center Ice sports complex, off State Road 56 near Interstate 75.
Holiday Inn Express will open next to Florida Hospital Center Ice sports complex, off State Road 56 near Interstate 75.

In the last 18 months, hotel occupancy has been about 72 percent to 75 percent. And, the average daily hotel rate is $8 higher than last year.

“Now there is more demand, so there’ll be more supply,” Caum said.

Pasco currently has about 3,600 hotel rooms. More than 600 rooms will be added from the new hotels.

In 2013, an Urban Land Institute study predicted that Pasco would add about 75 rooms a year through 2020.

By that yard stick, Caum said, “We’re actually ahead of projections.”

While business travelers still fill up most of Pasco’s hotel rooms, Caum said more leisure travelers are coming into the mix.

That market is expected to grow as the county reaps benefits from tourist destinations such as Tampa Premium Outlets, more retail and restaurants at Cypress Creek Town Center, Florida Hospital Center Ice, SunWest Park and TreeHoppers Aerial Adventure Park.

About 6,000 people are employed by the hospitality industry in Pasco, including at hotels and restaurants. Supportive businesses indirectly account for more than 12,000 additional people being employed.

“That’s huge,” said Caum.

Published August 10, 2016

Filed Under: Local News Tagged With: Cypress Creek Town Center, Ed Caum, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Florida Hospital Center Ice, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Garden Inn at Northpointe Village, Hyatt Place Wesley Chapel, Maple Silver Parkway, State Road 54, State Road 56, Suncoast Parkway, SunWest Park, Tampa Premium Outlets, Treehoppers Aerial Adventure Park, Urban Land Institute, Wiregrass Ranch

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January 26, 2021 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

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01/26/2021 – Crystal snowflakes

The Pasco County Library Cooperative will present Virtual STEM Studio: Crystal Snowflakes on Jan. 26 at 4:30 p.m., for grades four to seven. Learn how to create your own crystals with just saltwater. Follow along with the video on the Regency Park Library’s Facebook page. No library card is needed. … [Read More...] about 01/26/2021 – Crystal snowflakes

01/27/2021 – Into the Interstellar

The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative will present “Into the Interstellar Unknown” on Jan. 27 at 6:30 p.m. Natalia Guerreo will present the latest news from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Guerrero works at the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research on the MIT-led NASA TESS Mission. The program is for teens and adults. Registration is through the calendar feature at HCPLC.org. … [Read More...] about 01/27/2021 – Into the Interstellar

01/27/2021 – Zentangles

The Pasco County Library Cooperative will host “Stroke of Genius” on Jan. 27. This virtual craft includes an instructional slide show on how to draw Zentangles. View the post, available all day, on the South Holiday Library’s Facebook page. … [Read More...] about 01/27/2021 – Zentangles

01/29/2021 – One Book, One Night

The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative will host “One Book, One Night” on Jan. 29 at 6:30 p.m., for teens and adults. Participants can start online as the beginning excerpt of the book “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant, is read in English, Spanish and French. For information and to register, visit the calendar feature at HCPLC.org. … [Read More...] about 01/29/2021 – One Book, One Night

01/30/2021 – Toddler craft

The Pasco County Library Cooperative will host a virtual craft for toddlers on Jan. 30 at 2 p.m. Participants can learn how to make a paper plate shark. To view the video, visit Facebook.com/cplib. … [Read More...] about 01/30/2021 – Toddler craft

01/31/2021 – Nova Era performs

The Pioneer Florida Museum and Village, 15602 Pioneer Museum Road in Dade City, will host a live performance by the classical music group Nova Era on Jan. 31 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The ensemble performs in handcrafted 18th-century costumes and ornate, powdered wigs. Gates open at 2 p.m. There will be heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. This is an outdoor event. Guests should bring lawn chairs. No cooler or pets. Masks are required inside the buildings. Social distancing will be in place. Advance tickets are $25, or $30 at the door (if available). For information and tickets, visit PioneerFloridaMuseum.org. … [Read More...] about 01/31/2021 – Nova Era performs

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